


all the things I've got to remember

by Writerperson100



Category: That '70s Show
Genre: Engagement, Exes, F/M, Future, Happy, Love, Post-Canon, Talking, Water tower, dance, respect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:54:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29928213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerperson100/pseuds/Writerperson100
Summary: ///One shot///Hyde and Jackie meet again for a special ceremony and talk. That's it.
Relationships: Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	all the things I've got to remember

June 5th, 1985

Jackie Burkhart got off the train in Milwaukee, her friend Melanie had family in the city, family whose driver agreed to drive her down to Point Place. She didn’t return as often as her peers, but she returned enough to the small town for everyone to know that she was alive and well. Seattle had not eaten her alive.

She made her way to the little motel at the edge of town, she was in for one night, but she knew she couldn’t count on anyone she knew to house her. 4 out of 5 of her friends didn’t live in the city anymore and Fez was always a little passive aggressive about her having left him for Seattle 4 and a half years ago.

Eric and Donna were trying to get hitched again, this time making it down the aisle, hopefully. After the embarrassment that was their 1st wedding, Mrs. Forman insisted on an engagement party, she claimed that everyone she knew should know that both the bride and groom were planning to show up.

Steven Hyde moved to Milwaukee when he took over his father’s business and decided to bring it back to its former glory. Living in close proximity to his hometown and all friends (besides the pesky ex-girlfriend that occasionally occupies his mind) meant that his lifestyle didn’t change much, just constant boozing was broken up by stretches of work.

He was there when Eric proposed again, he was nervous, sweating and twitchy, Hyde wished he had a camera. Donna said yes, the couple and Fez all cried and Hyde missed being in a committed relationship, he hadn’t been in one since Jackie. Technically Sam too, but what they had was less of a relationship and more of a bed warming arrangement.

He was one of the 12 guests at the Forman residence and it was crowded to say the least, he felt like he didn’t have any room to breath. He took a six-pack and some of his stash and headed to the top of the water tower. This late in the night, he didn’t think he would find his ex-girlfriend up there, but she was always unpredictable.

“Steven.” She nodded when she saw him. He wordlessly took the seat next to her and offered her one of the beers, she took it and they silently looked at the town they grew up in.

Hyde knew that he was idiot. He had known it since 4 weeks after Jackie left town for a broadcast journalism job in Seattle. He was clearing his room to move out to his apartment in Milwaukee when he found a necklace she always wore. It was the thing needed to break his zen. He was upset that she left but he was more upset about how late he was willing to admit to himself he cared about her. He respected her too much to ask for another chance, so he continued to hide behind apathy. 

The handful times they did meet in the last 5 years usually ending in brawls, not serious heartbreaking brawls about who did whom wrong in their relationship, but rather about the smallest things like which record to play or cuisine to get as takeout.

“You know you can see the spot where we had our first date from here.” He commented looking in that direction.

“You can? Really?”

He nodded and pointed towards it, her eyes followed and a smile settled on her lips.

“Wow. That’s a good first date spot. How many other girls have you taken there. You know to impress their panties off.”

“Just you.”

“Just me? Boy don’t I feel special.” She laughed looking back at him.

“You know you are. You are Jackie Burkhart. Early Morning Show correspondent.”

She looked surprised. “You watch my show?”

“I don’t think I would call it your show, but yeah, where else would I find hot girls talking about the government?”

She smacked his shoulder. “You’re still a pig.”

“You know it!”

He offered her another beer and she took it.

“You know, this is the most civil conversation we have had this decade.” Said Hyde.

“Its funny how we are better when we are away from other people. When we don’t have to pretend to hate each other.”

“I thought you hated me.”

“I don’t hate you Steven.” She turned to him.“I mean I did hate you for a few years there. But I don’t hate you now. You know why?”

“Time heals all wounds or some shit like that?”

She laughed. “No, because Steven, the only thing more exhausting than loving you is hating you. I just don’t have the energy to keep up.”

“Well, you are a pain too.”

“Thank you Steven.”

They spent the rest of their evening at the water tower in silence till Jackie got up and reached out her hand to Steven. “Come on, the engagement party is tomorrow, we have to go sleep to be ready.”

He got up. "What does an engagement party even mean man, everyone knows Forman proposed, why this formality.”

“It doesn't matter Steven, we need to be prepared for anything tomorrow! Because I don't really know what best man and maid of honour are supposed to do at the engagement party.”

He smirked at her. “And what makes you think we are the best man and maid of honour.”

“Right… because they want Fez and Michael, use your brain Steven”

And with that the ex-couple made their way down the water tower and walked away in the direction of the respective accommodations for the night.

The next time they saw each other was at the engagement party, they were indeed best man and maid of honour, but they didn't really have anything to do at the party, as the night was winding down Steven Hyde asked Jackie Burkhart to dance, she said yes. 

“I can’t believe Forman and Donna are engaged.” Said Steven as they glided across the floor

“I can’t believe Eric didn’t do something dumb.”

“He left her at the alter once, even he isn’t stupid enough to do that twice.”

Jackie laughed and looked around the venue.

“I can’t believe I am going to say this, but this venue is beautiful.”

Steven Hyde stared at her. He knew it was now or never.

“I would have married you, you know.”

She paused, looked at him thoughtfully and replied. “I know.”

“We were just stupid kids.”

She shook her head. “We weren’t ready.”

“I was.”

She covered up her shock well. “Yeah, so was I, but WE weren’t. The fear of losing each other is not a good enough reason to get married Steven. I know that now.”

He laughed. “It really isn’t.”

They silently danced as the song changed, neither of them wanting to leave the dance floor.

“There is something you should know,” Said Jackie. “not like its super important, I’m not even trying to say that you are still pinning for me or anything, but I… um… I met someone”

“Oh..”

“I love him Steven.”

“I believe you.” He nodded. “You love him like you loved me?”

“Nah!” She shook her head with a smile. “I love him like I love him. I loved Micheal like I loved him, I loved Fez like I loved Fez, I loved you like I loved you and I love Noah like I love Noah. That doesn’t make any other love inferior.At different times in your life you need different kinds of love.”

“And what kind do you need now?”

“The kind where love is equal. Where no one is tempted to stray, no one is trying harder to make it work, and no one is more hopelessly devoted than the other.”

He laughed. “That is different.” He looked at his ex’s face. "He makes you happy.”

“He makes me very happy.”

“Then I think I have to meet him.”

“He’ll come to the wedding, I wanted to tell you Micheal and Fez before I brought him. But mostly just Fez.” They both shared a laugh. They both knew that was a lie, he was the one who needed to be told. “You know because there was a time I believed I would end up with Fez and that girl inside is sad that it isn’t true.”

He smiled at her. “Well, young him isn’t too happy about this either.”

She looked into his eyes. “But Fez’ll be okay?”

He nodded and used an animated voice. “Oh yeah! He is gonna miss you, he knows he lost his chance, he’ll move on.”

Jackie laughed. “Maybe this analogy has gone too far.”

He joined in. “Maybe.”

“But I’ll be okay Jacks, I will.”

“I really did believe I would end up with you.”

“I wanted that to be true too Jackie. We just met too early in life. I screwed up too much.”

“I screwed up too. We stopped fighting for each other.”

He shook his head. “Nah! I just respected you too much to ask you to forgive me once again.”

Her eyes filled with tears. She squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

He smiled at her. “Anything for you doll.”

**Author's Note:**

> okay, I kinda didn't want to end the story there, but I lost the voice of the story after that line (cause it was the perfect way to end it), so instead im going to use my voice to add to the story that I was going to. 
> 
> _Jackie loves Noah and he comes to the wedding and their is no awkwardness, in fact Hyde and him get along well cause he has actually let her go after accepting that he loves her. They had been dating for almost a year and get married in 1987. One day Steven Hyde too met a girl that he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But Jackie Burkhart never loved anybody the way she loved Steven Hyde, and Steven Hyde never loved anybody the way he loved Jackie Burkhart. ___
> 
> _  
> _... And scene._  
>  _
> 
> _  
> _I couldn't sleep one night cause the words 'the only thing more exhausting than loving you is hating you' were stuck in my mind and this story was born. I won't continue it just because I don't have the energy to create an entire story around those words but I could write these 1500 words. It's a little glimpse into how I come up with stories I hope you liked it._  
>  _


End file.
